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Hi all, we are new to the area, and have been having a hard time trying to find Pho in the Cary area. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on a place that serves Pho and other Vietnamese food that is not a long drive from Cary?
I've tried 2 places in the Triangle, and have been disappointed by both:
Pho 9n9 is located just outside RTP. the food is just OK, and it's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall (not that it bothers me if the food is really good).
we tried Lime & Basil in Chapel Hill just the other night. for all it had been hyped to me, i was even more disappointed. the prices were a bit high to boot.
there's a place near Costco in Durham that I'm going to try soon. i'll try to remember to write a review on it afterwards, although i mostly review on www.yelp.com. someone in this city has to know how to make good pho.
There's a Vietnamese plaza off of Capital Blvd in Raleigh called An Chau. In it, there's a grocery store, several shops and a food court. One of the restaurants in the food court (I don't remember the name, but it is the first one you see walking in) has the best Pho I have had in the triangle so far. It's a bit divey, but very authentic. Being from the Northeast, I've had the pleasure of dining at some of the best in Philly and NYC, and this place in the food court is the closest I have found. Their guo cuon, or crispy spring rolls are excellent and authentic as well. I can't speak to the other dishes though since I have yet to try them all. Here's the link to the plaza website: AnChau.com - Home
After doing some research on this a few months ago - check Chowhound too - I tried Cali Pho in a strip mall on Capital. The pho was fine, not the best I've had nor the worst. The meat was a bit chewy and not too flavorful, even by pho standards. Still, I would go back as I have to have a pho fix from time to time. They also have a good sized menu including banh mi and other Vietnamese options.
Cali Pho is the best.. It's comparable to some places in LA, but still not like anything in Hanoi I haven't tried the food court one in the An Chau plaza, looked a little sketchy the last time I was there.. will try it next time. Cali Pho's bun bo hue is awesome as well, no huge pork fat and bone sitting in your bowl like other places (unless you like that kind).
Btw, if you're looking for good asian food in Cary, you should try Tangerine Cafe on Cary Pkwy and Old Apex.. A mix of japanese, chinese, viet, thai, etc.. It's pretty good and conveniently located for folks in Cary--plus it's pretty spicy if you like it hot.
ps. sorry for hijacking this thread, but does anyone know what I can find some 'bi' (the shredded pork/skin stuff) around the triangle?
Last edited by douknownam; 02-16-2009 at 08:29 AM..
There is a place called DALAT at Mission Valley shopping center on Western Blvd (not far from Cary, on the back side of NCSU) that has Vietnamese, including pho. I have eaten there, but am not a connaisseur of Viet food in order to comment on it.
My friends rave about Pho and I really do want to try it at some point. From what they tell me...there isn't very good pho here, but it is nice in DC/ATL.
"Lime and Basil" in Chapel Hill wasn't bad the last time I ate there, but it's way overpriced.
I've noticed that Vietnamese restaurants in the Triangle area are very inconsistent: they can be good one month and really poor the next month. I think one of the possible reasons is the turnover in cooks. Not many Vietnamese cooks want to settle in this area when they can get a better-paying gig in Atlanta or Washington DC.
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I haven't tried the food court one in the An Chau plaza, looked a little sketchy the last time I was there.. will try it next time. Cali Pho's bun bo hue is awesome as well, no huge pork fat and bone sitting in your bowl like other places (unless you like that kind).
